Read: John 15:1-9
“Every branch that bears fruit (God) prunes to make it bear more fruit.” (John 15:2)

Reflection: How can I find ways to give? Maybe I need to cut back in some overgrown areas of my life in order to bear better fruit in my life for God’s kingdom.

If you have ever grown grapes in your yard, then you will know that grapevines will naturally overextend themselves with prolific branching and leaf growth every year. If grapevines are not pruned, all of the branching and leaf growth can completely cover an arbor in as little as two growing seasons.

Unchecked, branching growth, while great for simply covering up space, is terrible for bearing fruit. Such overgrown grapevines will bear tiny, unusable fruit — if it is able to bear fruit clusters at all. The extensive branching and leafing drains the resources and energy of the vine from its primary purpose — bearing fruit.

Look at the pictures of a well-kept vineyard whose purpose is to bear good fruit. You will see thick, decades old grapevines pruned back to no more than four short branches so that all the energy of the plant is focused on growing great grapes. Pruning — heavy, regular pruning — is necessary to bearing good fruit.

How overextended is your life? What all have you branched out into? We may think that wildly branching out everywhere as fast as we can grow helps us to cover all the bases in life; but in truth, such unmanaged growth just keeps us from bearing any real fruit. Ask yourself, “Where could I cut back so I could invest the time and energy and resources available to me into bearing the kind of good fruit in my life that matters?” If it has been awhile in your life since you paid any attention to pruning, you may be astonished as to how overgrown and overextended your life has become. No wonder Jesus says that God will prune our lives to help us bear better fruit.

Prayer: Lord, abide more fully in me. Help me to prune and manage my life better. Re-shape my living to bear good fruit that would glorify You.

Action Item: Make a list of areas in your life that are overgrown. What branches can you cut out? What resources does that pruning free up for you to invest in bearing good fruit?

Wondering why the new building is so needed? Or what will be in it? Hear from members of Parkway Heights as they talk about what’s coming and why they are excited!

Click on the link below (or paste it into your browser) to see the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao4AEmla5-o

Read: 2 Samuel 24: 18-25
“I will not offer a sacrifice to the Lord my God that costs me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24)

Reflection: Finally we are heading toward home plate and getting close to being ready to fill out a pledge card. But this gift has become something more than a donation! We have first given ourselves to the Lord. We have prayed for God’s will to be done in our lives. We have looked hard at our resources in order to find every way to make our faith real with our gifts. This gift has become a stewardship decision that re-shapes your life — you are growing in your discipleship!

Any gift will make some difference to the church, but a stewardship decision is a gift that makes a difference in you. Through this gift God is actually growing your faith and your commitment.

Such a gift will certainly cost you something. King David had an opportunity to make an easy “sacrifice” (or offering) to God. Araunah was going to give him the whole deal — the threshing floor (the place for the altar), the oxen, and even the wood for the sacrifice — for nothing. What a deal! But David realized that such a deal was really no sacrifice for himself at all, no worship that honored his Lord and God. “I will not offer a sacrifice to the Lord my God which costs me nothing,” David said.

Offering yourself to God — giving sacrificially — does not come easy. It will cost you something.

Does your giving model the kind of commitment that would honor and worship God?

Does your sacrifice make a real difference to you? Are you giving in ways that shape your living? If you can answer “yes” then you are not simply sharing a gift — you are sharing your faith.

Prayer: Lord, if I give myself in ways that mean little to me, how would that honor and worship You? Let my giving honor You as my Lord and my God.

Action Item: Reflect on this question — Does what I am thinking about giving make a difference in the way I live my life?

Read: 2 Corinthians 8:7-8
“Now as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you — see that you abound in this gracious work of giving also. I am not speaking this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love.”
(2 Corinthians 8:7-8)

Reflection: Praxis is the point where our faith and our actions intersect. Praxis is the point where what we believe and what we do join together. To put it simply, praxis means walking the walk as well as talking the talk!

Now that we have made a faith commitment, and now that we have earnestly sought God’s will in prayer, it is time to turn what we have learned into what we can do and will do. We are rounding third — finding ways to practice what we believe.

Now is the time to take inventory. Now is the time to ask another question: “OK Lord, what have You equipped me and blessed me to do?” What resources do I have to give? How can I think creatively about giving — beyond the narrow box of my income and expenses — in order to give of myself fully? Are there assets beyond my monthly income that I can give? Can I create new resources to give with my talents, gifts, and time? Does my faith commitment lead me to change other priorities in my life, reducing spending and thus freeing resources for giving?

There is no one “correct” plan that is right for everyone. There is no formula for the right pledge. Making faith real is a unique journey for every individual. Your praxis is your way of walking the walk. Talking to the church in Corinth, Paul knows there is no formula for giving. In fact, he realizes that he cannot command anyone about giving. Giving has to grow from the heart. But, as Paul well knows, giving is a test of the heart in action, a test of the genuineness of love. Giving is where what we believe gets real

It is inventory time. Time to get practical about God’s blessings in your life and what you can do to financially support God’s work in Parkway Heights.

Prayer: Lord, I have heard Your word. Help me to be a doer of Your word.

Action item: Make some lists. First, identify (and give thanks for!) all that God has blessed you with. Second, come up with a list of as many ways of giving that are possible to you (for example: changing spending, monthly pledge from income, gift of assets, etc, etc). Begin to think of your pledge as a worksheet, and use this list as you determine your pledge over the next week.

Read: Matthew 6:5-19
“This, then, is how you should pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10)

Reflection: Are you still intent on making a stewardship decision? When you have decided to make your decision a matter of faith, then the next step is to seek God’s will. “They gave themselves first to the Lord, and, by the will of God, then to us.” (2 Corinthians 8:5)

Seeking God’s will means getting God involved in your decisions and in your life! Seeking God’s will means inviting God’s input and guidance. It means genuinely asking, “What would You do through me, Lord, to make Your will happen in my church?”

Where does one ask for God’s guidance and seek God’s will? How does one invite God to participate in his or her life? Those things happen as we intentionally spend time in prayer.

A stewardship decision is a prayerful commitment. A stewardship decision invites God to the dialogue and involves God in the discussion. A stewardship decision becomes much more than just my sense of goodwill… it means discovering and acting within a sense of God’s goodwill.

Taking the turn at second base will take much time for prayer… time for listening and learning and reflecting … time for asking and searching and seeking. Getting to second base means turning even further from what I am willing to do toward what God wills in my life.

Prayer: Lord, I want to honor Your name. Speak to me! Let Your will be done … in me and through me. Let Your kingdom come … here in my life.

Action Item: Listen well over the next week. Make note in your journal what you hear and believe God is speaking to you.

Read: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
“They gave themselves first to the Lord, and, by the will of God, then to us.” (2 Corinthians 8:5)

Reflection: Have you ever watched a tee-ball game where the children are just beginning to learn baseball? Have you ever seen a child, so excited to hit the ball off the tee, that the youngster runs directly to third base and then races back to home plate to score?

Too often we think of giving to the church as a financial decision rather than as a stewardship decision. We shortcut the ground-rules, like the child running directly to third. We rush to start off in the wrong direction. We hurry the process. As a result, we may make a donation to the church, but we do not make a stewardship commitment.

To make a stewardship decision, we have to go all the way around and touch all of the bases. Reaching first means making a faith decision before we even consider the financial aspect of our giving. Reaching first means calling to account our lives of faith before doing any financial accounting.

In 2 Corinthians 8:5, Paul says of the Macedonian church, “they gave of themselves first to Lord, and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” Getting to first means determining your commitment level before deciding your financial position. Making a stewardship decision means responding to a deeper calling of faith, not reacting to a quick accounting. A stewardship decision is first and foremost a faith commitment, not a financial calculation.

First things first. They gave themselves first to the Lord. That is the place to begin a conversation about a stewardship decision.

Prayer: Lord, first let me give myself more fully to You. Then let my decisions grow out of what I believe … and out of what You call me to be and to do.

Action Item: First things first. Instead of rushing to the calculator or the budget, answer these questions first.

• What does God call me to be?
• What does God call me to do?
• What is God doing in my church now?
• How is God working in my life now?
• What could God do through me?
• How can I give myself more fully to God?

Read: Luke 14: 15-24
“Come, for everything is ready now. But they all alike began to make excuses.”
(Luke 14:17-18)

Reflection: How many reasons are there for not participating in a capital campaign? The possibilities are endless! There are more than enough reasons to justify anyone.

A modern parable might begin like this:
The kingdom of God is like a capital campaign. God gave His people a vision. “Come!” said God, “Take your place prepared for you. Take up your part in My work. Everything is ready now. All of you are invited to make a difference. When you take your place and take up your part, all will be blessed to break bread in My kingdom.” But they all alike began to make excuses ….

The most important piece of a jigsaw puzzle is the piece that is missing. Every part is important to making the whole picture work. Synergy is a word best understood when divided. Ergo, is Greek for work, while the prefix syn means together. When merged, the words mean “working together.” However, there is more. Synergy is better defined to mean that the result accomplished is greater than the individual parts. Sports teams demonstrate the meaning of synergy. Playing together makes them better than playing as individuals. However, even one team member failing to do his or her part can make everyone lose. Just like one musician not in concert with the orchestra can ruin the music.

Your participation in the mission of this church is unquestionably significant. No one can play your part but you. No one can give your part but you. Others can only do their part. No one can make up for your part if your gift is excused.

Prayer: Lord, when Your call challenges me, it is easy for me to excuse myself. Reach me! Compel me to respond to Your call in whatever ways I can.

Action Item: If you have already made up your list of excuses, then take that list and offer it up as a burnt sacrifice. Go back to the list you made on day two — reasons why these projects are important. Looking over that list, can you now find reasons to give?

Read: Romans 12:1-2
“Offer yourselves as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is.” (Romans 12:1)

“Love the Lord your God … with all of your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)

Reflection: What motto is on your T-shirt? What values do you conform to? Where do you re-shape yourself in order to “fit in.” What do you give yourself to as a kind of living sacrifice? Anything advertising to make us the greatest, the most successful, the most famous, can capture us and conform us to its own set of values.

A magazine ran a series of articles asking people “How has your mind changed?” Some people answered by telling how a relationship changed their racial prejudices, or by sharing how some tragedy or suffering made them more aware of and compassionate toward others.

What can change your mind? That is an interesting question. Changing one’s mind is a difficult and rare thing — especially if the transformation means changing our directions, our opinions, our goals, and our plans. Yet such change is exactly what Paul calls every Christian to. He calls us to be completely transformed by the renewing of our mind. And he calls us to give ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice.

Would anyone notice that your life is molded by the mind of Christ? Could any-one see your transformation? How has your life in faith changed your mind? How have your priorities changed? How has your life changed? Ask yourself, do you feel conformed to this world, or are you being transformed? Could anyone notice the difference in you as you offer yourself more fully to God?

Prayer: Lord, lead me to see things differently, to think differently, to live differently. Reset my priorities. Transform my mind … and my life!

Action Item: Get in touch with the “mind-set” that you have entered our campaign with. What have you predetermined? What are you stubborn about? What have you already decided? Be honest here — write those things down. Is this helping or hindering you in allowing God to prepare His way in your heart? Then make a commitment with yourself to be open-minded. Listen, look, reflect — and see what you learn. You may be surprised to find yourself transformed before this prayer journey is finished.

Read: Mark 12:41-44

“Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned.”
(Mark 12:43)

“Love the Lord your God … with all your strength” (Matthew 22:37)

Reflection: After a long morning of teaching in the temple courtyard, Jesus took a break with his disciples. Sitting right across from the treasury, their gazes drifted over to observing many people who were making their offerings.

Never one to miss a teachable moment, Jesus asked his disciples about what they had seen. “Who put in more?” is the implied question. The answer is obvious to anyone reading or watching — those who gave the greatest sums put in more!

Jesus turns the tables on the obvious, teaching his disciples an important principle of giving. Giving is not measured by dollar amounts; giving is measured by how much we truly give of ourselves. Some who gave large sums offered out of their surplus gifts that they would never even miss. But what this widow offered meant the world to her, although it was just a penny. Her gift affected her life. Her seemingly small gift is the one Jesus singles out for praise. She put in more of herself than all of the others.

Commitments are not about equal gifts, but about an equal sense of sacrifice. Not everyone has the ability (the resources) to make a multi-million dollar gift; but every person does have the ability and the opportunity to meaningfully invest themselves in what God is doing in their church. In terms of the commitment, rather than the amount, would God be honored if every person in our church made a sacrifice equal to my own?

Prayer: Lord, each and every gift makes a difference to Parkway Heights. Teach me to give in ways that actually make a difference in my life.

Action Item: Whether you imagine your financial gift to be “large” or “small,” stop … right now … trying to measure your pledge (in dollar terms) with what other people are able to do. Put that kind of “measuring” away! Every gift from every person is immeasurably significant if that gift represents a meaningful commitment within the context of their blessings. Continue to ask yourself this question: in terms of the level of commitment — not the dollar amount — would God be honored if every person in our congregation made a sacrifice equal to my own?

Read: Matthew 6:19-21 and Luke 19:1-9
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth … but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart. (Matthew 22:37)

Reflection: We tend to grow uncomfortable when the church talks about money. Why? Are decisions about how we live and how we use those resources unimportant? Is our faith supposed to be separate from our finances? Are not believing, and praying, and loving more important to our faith? Look at a revealing count of New Testament words:

• Believe, Believing - 275 times
• Pray, Praying - 371 times
• Love, loves, loving - 714 times
• Giving or give - 2,162 times

Jesus knew that our treasures and our hearts are inseparably linked. For Him, talking about treasure was to reach more completely for the full allegiance of people’s hearts. Jesus knew that dealing with our treasures is one of those critical places where the rubber meets the road … where the practicality of our faith is tested … where what we believe becomes tangible and real.

Remember the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19? We have no idea what happened between Jesus and Zacchaeus other than they had dinner together. But we do know that Jesus reached and dramatically changed that person’s heart. How do we know that? Follow the money! Look at what happened with Zacchaeus’ treasure. Half of what he possessed he gave immediately. Every wrong he set himself to make right. Seeing where the treasure went, Jesus exclaims, “Today salvation has come to this house!”

Maybe we are uncomfortable with talk about money because that conversation is getting awfully close to the heart of our faith. Maybe we are uncomfortable with talk about our treasures because we are afraid for something as powerful as salvation to come very near our house today.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to love You with all my heart – and with all my life. Let salvation come to this house!

Action Item: Sketch out a simple budget of where your treasures are (of where your financial resources go). Now write down your current giving to the ministries of the church. How does your giving to God’s work through the church compare to your investment in your other treasures? What does that level of giving say about where your heart is? Where would you rather your heart be?